NBA Conference Finals Preview

Now that the Conference Finals are scheduled to kick off tonight with the Detroit Pistons visiting the Boston Celtics in the East, I figure it is time to look at both this series and the Spurs-Lakers matchup which starts tomorrow night in L.A.

Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics - Is there any reason why we should be told otherwise that this series won't go seven and ultimately end with the home team winning every game...Well you can't convince me any other reason. To me, this series comes down to the play of Ray Allen. If he doesn't show up in this series the Celtics will have no chance because these Pistons are not the inexperienced Hawks or Cavs that the Celts have faced in the previous two rounds...and even they gave the Celtics trouble. The Celtics won the series 2-1 in the regular season. I picked Boston to represent the East from the very start of the playoffs and regular season so there is no point of turning back now. Will the Celtics win a road game, probably not but I do see them winning this series in 7. Boston 16-12 record in playoffs???

San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers - This will be a test of offense vs. defense. The Lakers averaged 108 points in the regular season to the Spurs 95. Everyone from the first round was picking against the Spurs. They thought they were too old, past their prime, and other teams had just gotten better. However they blew by Phoenix with ease and then proved they are the world champs by winning a Game 7 in Nawlins. I think that game showed the Lakers that this team is without a doubt for real and very much a contender. As much as me and probably the majority of mankind would have loved to see a CP3 vs KB24 matchup to see who the "real" MVP was, we are now stuck with seeing the same monotony play of basketball from San Antonio for at least another 4 games. Kobe averaged 24 points this season against the Spurs and had 18 assists and 17 turnovers in 4 games against them. The teams split the season series but they never played a game when Gasol, Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker were all on the floor together. With that being said I do not see the Spurs being able to beat the Lakers. Sure Kobe may not go for 40 a night because of Bruce Bowen's defense but I think Fisher is smart enough and physical enough to make Parker work for his shot and give him some problems. The Spurs also do not have an answer for Odom while Gasol and Duncan basically just wash themselves out. Lakers in 6.

-Matt Soldano
"The New Edge (for the summer only)" - Wednesdays 9-10pm - www.mywcwp.com

Victory is sweet!!

If you didn't know by now, The Sportswire is holding its inaugural "Winner gets Dinner Challange"; this competiton focusing on the 2008 NBA Playoff Bracket. And as of last night, Nick Malone has been mathematically eliminated from the Challange, due to his Hornets falling to the Spurs in Game 7. Malone seemed so sure of New Orleans. He even predicted that they would be one of the best teams, before the season started.

In the Challange, Malone chose the Hornets to win the NBA Championship, while I chose the Spurs. Since Game 1 of the series, we've had a bit of a rivalry every week on The Sportswire.

Now that I've gotten past Malone, the only obstacle I must overcome is Max Geller; who, like me, has a perfect Bracket so far. Geller chose the Celtics to defeat the Lakers in the finals, and I predicted the Spurs to go over the Celtics.

So it basically all comes down to the Western Conference Championship Series. If the Spurs move on, I am the victor, but if the Lakers advance, Geller will get a meal courtesy of the 3 losers.

All I can say is: Bruce Bowen vs. Kobe Bryant is going to be very interesting.

Listen to The Sportswire (formerly The New Sportswire) to hear me lambaste Malone and get into it with Geller. The Sportswire is on every Thursday night from 9-10pm on http://mywcwp.com/

-Max Caster

Chris Baker vs. The NY Jets

Tight end Chris Baker has been vocal about his request for a new contract or to be traded. The Jets have refused Baker's ultimatum and have stated that Baker will be a Jet, during the 2008-2009 season, numerous times. But it appears that Gang Green is preparing to replace Baker by signing washed up veteran Bubba Franks, to a wealthier contract per year than Baker's, and drafting Dustin Keller in the 1st round of this year's NFL Draft. Keller has yet to ink a deal with New York but is expected to make more than Baker. So the question is: "Why did the Jets acquire more tight ends when they have stated that they are intent on keeping Baker on the roster?"

I believe that this bad blood between Chris Baker and the Jets began when Baker made comments questioning the Jets' coaching decisions, following the loss to the Eagles in Week 6. And rightfully so. They had a 1-5 record after that loss. In retaliation, although never admitted by Eric Mangini, Chris Baker was inactivated for the Bengals game in Week 7. Baker was said to be injured but had participated in practice in the week leading up to the game in Cincy. It's a bit suspect to have a guy suddenly sit out after he made blunt and truthful comments on the team's struggles.

Now the Jets have added Bubba Franks and Dustin Keller to the roster. These are two moves to further undermine Baker for his outspokenness. With these news players coming in, I predict that Mangini will play Baker sparingly throughout the season. Baker hasn't done anything on the field to prove that he is not worthy of being a starter, so bringing in two more guys to fill his spot does not make much sense.

Now I do have to say that I don't agree with any player looking to restructure a contract or demanding more money while there is a current contract in place. With that logic, the Jets should be able to pay Baker less if he does not perform.

But that is not the reason I am upset with the way the Jets are handling the Chris Baker situation. They're right for not giving him more bread (as the kids say). I'm mad because they are being extremely petty over a challanging statement from Baker. They continue to indirectly phase him out of the offense and refuse to send him elsewhere; thus ruining Baker's remaining seasons under contract with New York.

This needs to be more publicized.

Free Chris Baker.
Max Caster

Over the Ropes
All the wrestling knowledge you'll need in 60 minutes.
Saturdays from 10-11pm on http://mywcwp.com
http://overtheropes.mypodcast.com
http://myspace.com/overtheropes

The Sportswire
"The Thursday Night Hootnanny"
Thursdays from 9-10pm on http://mywcwp.com
http://sportswireonwcwp.mypodcast.com

Have You Seen This? (5/11)

- There was an 80 player brawl in Baltimore Ravens camp yesterday. It started when a running back was tackled by a defensive player, and an offensive lineman confronted him. It soon escalated into a good old fashioned throw down. Personally, I wouldn't get anywhere near that fight... Ray Lewis is on the team.

- A 78 year old, legally blind man named "The Hammer", bowled a perfect 300. And Obama only scored a 37. Maybe The Hammer should be our next president.

- Michael Avery, a 6'4" eighth grader, has signed a letter of intent to play his college basketball at Kentucky. Not just that, but Avery is getting a SCHOLARSHIP!! What!? This is how I know that the NCAA's regulations are screwy.

Free Herb Williams
Max Caster

Over the Ropes
Saturday 10-11pm on http://mywcwp.com
http://overtheropes.mypodcast.com
http://myspace.com/overtheropes

Sportswire
Thursday 9-10pm on http://mywcwp.com
http://sportswireonwcwp.mypodcast.com

D'Antoni a Knick.... terrible!

When I first heard that sources had confirmed the Knicks' signing of Mike D'Antoni, I repeatedly murmured curse words to myself for about a minute and a half. Obvioulsy I don't like the signing. D'Antoni is a good coach and he's shown it with the Suns, but there are some things that I don't like about his coaching career.

First, he's never gotten to the NBA Finals. He had sooooo much talent in Phoenix and was never able to get to the big game. Nash, Stoudamire, Marion, Q-Rich, Joe Johnson, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Shaq, Barbosa... and on and on... If he can't get to the finals with any of those guys, his system does not work.

I don't like D'Antoni's system either. It's offensive minded. The Knicks need to play defense, which they haven't done in years. Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.

I did not want Mark Jackson either. Jackson has never coached and wasn't even around this team a lot last season. I would rather have someone who knows this team as the coach. That's why I was pulling for Herb Williams to get the job. He's been around the Knicks for a while now as an assistant. And his playing days are not very far behind him. He's been interim coach and knows the players. I think the players would have responded to him very positively.

Max Caster

Have You Seen This? (5/7)

- David Witthoft, this 12 year old kid from Green Bay has been wearing the same Brett Favre jersey for four years straight. He finally took it off on his 12th birthday. I was relieved to hear that his mom washed it every other day. Personally, there is no way in hell I would allow my kid to wear the same grimey shirt every day. But at least they didn't let him smell like dirty laundry.

I'm happy this kid decided to grow up and become materialistic like normal teenagers. I think he was trying to break the record for the number of consecutive days wearing a Brett Favre jersey. The record is currently held by John Madden (not the hockey player), who has been wearing one as an undershirt since 1995.

-Rafael Nadal lost a match on clay. WHAT!!?? In 105 matches on a clay court, Nadal has won 103 times. Nadal had to stop play due to a blister on his foot.

Micah Owings losing to the Mets, LeBron James going 2-18 shooting with 10 turnovers against the Celtics, and the inflation problem in the US, along with Nadal's loss has convinced me that the armageddon is close.

-Carmelo Anthony is back in trouble with the law, only 3 weeks after being arrested for a DUI. This time, Melo was going 60 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Why don't people ever learn?

-Speaking of someone who never learns, Amy Winehouse has been arrested on suspicion of drug possession. Ha! I think if you approach Amy on any day of the week and take her in for suspicion of drug possession. This arrest actually stems from a video released a few month ago, featuring Winehouse smoking something from a small pipe. This delay makes me question the British police force. Either they need to speed things up by getting rid of rollerblading police or by getting faster internet.

-Max Caster

Over the Ropes
Saturdays from 10-11 on http://mywcwp.com
http://overtheropes.mypodcast.com
http://myspace.com/overtheropes
http://wrestlemedia.net

The New Sportswire
Thursdays from 9-10pm on http://mywcwp.com
http://sportswireonwcwp.mypodcast.com

We're Talking Softball...

Congrats to the C.W Post Pioneer softball team. Or should I say, The E.C.C Champion C.W Post Pioneers........

It's on to the NCAA's and Head Coach Jamie Appicella joins me to talk about it tonight on The Edge.

As always, the fun starts at 9pm only on mywcwp.com

Miss tonight? have no fear- The Edge re-airs every Tuesday morning at 8am.

-Jordan Lauterbach

Miracles do happen!!

This weekend has been full of improbable feats in New York.

It all started when the Yankees beat the Mariners on Friday. Not too out of the ordinary. But what surprised me when I read the box score is that Kyle Farnsworth didn't lose the game. Say WHAAAT!! That's right. In fact, Farnsworth did better than Joba Chamberlain. In the 7th inning, Farny didn't let up a hit and had 2 strikeouts. Joba pitched in the 8th. He let up 1 hit and had no strike outs.

Then, later on Friday, the Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2. Again, nothing strange about that... except the Mets had the most the most valuable player in the Majors pitching against them. Micah Owings, the best hitting pitcher since Babe Ruth, took the hill for the Mets. New York eliminated Owings' phenominal batting skills by walking him twice. Even weirder, he let up all 7 Mets runs and got him to throw 102 pitches in 5.2 innings. Owings now has a 4-1 record after taking the L on Friday.

Wow.

-Max Caster

Over the Ropes
Saturdays from 10-11pm on http://mywcwp.com
http://overtheropes.mypodcast.com

The New Sportswire
Thursdays from 9-10pm on http://mywcwp.com
http://sportswireonwcwp.mypodcast.com


PS: Tune into the Sportswire to keep up with the "Winner gets Dinner NBA Bracket Challange"

Mazzocchi is already out. He chose the Phoenix Suns to win it all.

There's Always A First For Everything

So the award that everyone has been waiting to be announced finally was reported earlier today. Kobe Bryant edged out Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics to take home his first ever MVP.

I know, I know, how could the best player since MJ never win a most valuable player reward? Despite his three rings, scoring titles, and NBA Finals MVP, he has never received quite the recognition for the regular season. Kobe averaged 28.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. He shot 46% from the field and 84% from the line. Put all the numbers aside, and there are many other key aspects to Kobe's game this year that made him the most deserving for this award.

I said every week since about the All-Star Break, that the award would ultimately come down to Bryant and Paul with Bryant eventually winning it. Bryant went through an entire transformation ever since his parking lot rant on how Andrew Bynum wasn't the real deal and how he wanted out of LA ASAP. He made Bynum better, who when healthy was a double double threat every night. He didn't have to score 40 points a night to give his team just the slightest bit of a chance to win. You saw in the series against Denver how he would facilitate for most of the game getting all of his teammates involved.

Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar all made considerable leaps in their game this year because of the fact that they were trusted. It was much more mental with Bryant than anything else. The acquisition of Derek Fisher in the offseason also helped out tremendously because Kobe knew how to play with his back court mate unlike his days of Smush Parker.

More importantly, the Lakers are in a position now to contend for an NBA Championship. After being trounced in the past 2 years by the Suns in the 1st round, an easy and early sweep of the Nuggets have the Lakers' confidence sky high. For the first time since the early 2000s the Lakers are finally showing a sense of team camaraderie. And how exactly does the rest of the team show their appreciation for Kobe? Just ask Lamar Odom who recently told a story of when he was at a team dinner before the first round series against Denver in which Kobe treated all of the team. "As soon as he picked up the bill, we all started chanting, 'MVP, MVP, MVP!" Odom said.

Umm Kobe, you mind putting a Porter House steak on the tab for me?

-Matt Soldano
"Off the Glass" Wednesdays 9-10 pm only on www.mywcwp.com

A $126 million mistake!

Barry Zito is a Reliever? After he started the 2008 season 0-6, the San Fransisco Giants decided it was time to move Barry Zito to the bullpen. This was one of the worst signings in the history of the game. Once a 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner with Oakland is now the first six game loser of the 2008 season. In 2002 he had a record of 23-5 with a 2.75 ERA, since then from 03-08 he has an avg. of 11 W - 11 L with a 4.07 ERA. After he had a meeting with manager Bruce Bochy, he calmly accepted his new role as a reliever. "I'm certainly not happy with it, by any means," Zito said. "But this is the bed that I've made. I have to lay in it for the time being and I have to overcome. I trust management and I trust what their decisions are."

So just as the Giants have gotten rid of one troublesome player this year in Bonds, they will now have to wait to get rid of another. And I use the word troublesome, obviously for different reasons, but still troublesome non the less. Maybe one day in the future he will return to form and we'll all seem stupid for ever doubting him, but until then this is what we have to go on, an 0-6 record with a 7.53 ERA.

Corey Sobel - Talkin' Baseball